Twisted Hearts and Anguished Howls
by xXit'salllgonnabeOKXx
Summary: “I promise we’ll be there from now on, Moony. You should never have to be alone. And you won’t.” MWPP era SLASH! Rated M for later chapters
1. Changes

**Disclaimer:** I, of course, am not affiliated in any way with JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. Nor do I own anything in the vast, copyrighted universe that is Harry Potter. Duhhh. Disclaimer: I, of course, am not affiliated in any way with JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. Nor do I own anything in the vast, copyrighted universe that is Harry Potter. Duh.

**Warning/A.N.:** This is obviously SLASH. If you want to flame me, by all means do. I shall take pleasure in your ignorance. You can't change anything AT ALL by flaming my fic and I shall laugh at your puny attempts to do so. Because I'm demented, yes I am.

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**Twisted Hearts and Anguished Howls**

_Chapter 1; Changes_

Remus John Lupin What an interesting name. In the legend of Ancient Rome, Remus and Romulus were the founders of Rome, suckled by a female wolf as infants, and Remus was later slain by his traitorous brother. John is a biblical name that means gracious. Saint John the Baptist was forerunner to Christ, beheaded by Herod Antipas, and the apostle John was the author of both the Gospel and Revelations. Lupin is the Latin word for wolf. Luna, a name that sounds very much like "Lupin", is another name for the moon. Three names. Many meanings. Wolves, betrayal, the moon, intelligence, gracious, giving, quiet personalities and horrendous fates at the hands of tyrannical authorities. But it all fit. Fate made sure it fit, and in a very cruel way. No, not death. But a problem that sometimes made Remus wish he were dead. A "furry little problem," Remus' good friend James Potter would often call it. Oh, how Remus loved James for what he did once a month. He loved all of the Marauders for it. They were all so thoughtful and brave. For you see, once a month, every month since the age of five, Remus Lupin became a ferocious beast, a bloodthirsty monster. He became a werewolf.

Every full moon, Madam Pomfrey, the resident healer at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, led Remus through the castle, over the grounds until they reached a most peculiar tree. The Womping Willow it was called, and it was, coincidentally enough, planted the very same year that Remus arrived at Hogwarts. This was a most vicious tree that would try valiantly to pummel whatever unfortunate soul that came within 10 feet of it's flailing branches. But there was a knot in the trunk of the Willow that, when pressed, would freeze the deadly beating branches and allow for Madam Pomfrew6y and Remus to crawl through a hole in the massive trunk that gave way to a secret passage. And this long, low, earthy passage led to a decrepit old house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

Hogsmeade was the only wizarding village in England, and accordingly so, the Shrieking Shack was rumored to be the most severely haunted building in the country. The Shack was indeed more seemingly haunted than any muggle dwelling. But even the witches and wizards of Hogsmeade had no idea that what they were hearing from the old house were not the despairing cries and disruptive roars of particularly violent sprits, but were, in fact, the rather sad and painful noises of a young werewolf's' monthly transformation. And this very transformation was what Remus Lupin was anxiously anticipating as he stood at the door from the passageway to the Shack'. Remus heard the click of a key in the lock as Madam Pomfrey ensured his imprisonment, and he could hear her light footfalls receding slowly into the distance.

The young werewolf turned to face a cracked and grimy window, biting his lip in horrific anticipation as he saw a few silky blue-white rays filter through the dirt on the window and fall on his face, making it seem all the more sallow than his usual ill pallor. The conscience mind of Remus the human started to fade away as the personality of Moony, the wolf, the savage beast that lived only on instinct, began to flood his brain. This was it. He was transforming.


	2. Thoughtful Pain

**Disclaimer:** I own $2.47, a skateboard, and a violin. Not JK's characters.

**Firstly, Another Author's Note:** Wow, I'm really pleased and flattered. 137 hits in less than 3 days since this story's publishing. And 1 review. Wow. Call me easily impressed, but I am very grateful to anyone who has read this story's first chapter. So here's the 2nd. Enjoy!

**Feelinfawkesy;** thank you so very much for the wonderful review. I know, I love slash a lot too. XD

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**Twisted Hearts and Anguished Howls**

_Chapter 2;Thoughtful Pain_

Remus slowly opened groggy eyes the next morning, squinting at the broken shafts of golden sunlight streaming through the dirt-covered and boarded windowpanes, and wincing in pain as he tried to sit up. As he did so, Remus took in his surroundings. The familiar walls of the Shrieking Shack were once again splattered lightly in blood the young werewolf knew was his. The furniture piled in a corner of the adjacent dining room was marred with deep gouges and seemed to all be in a state on the edge of collapse. Much like Remus. He began to feel slightly nauseous when he looked down at his bloody arms, which bore deep red bite-marks and angry scratches. Remus' slender legs looked much the same, and he looked down at his heavily scarred abdomen to see an angry red welt filled with sharp splinters. Remus groaned in pain as he tried to remove the sharp, bloodstained wood from the toned muscle, and looked outside wearily to see Madam Pomfrey striding purposefully down the lane. As he tried to remove a rather large sliver from its position, buried at an awkward angle deep into Remus' stomach, the amber-eyed boy felt a jolting pain in his abdomen before dizziness overcame him, his vision blurring, and finally going black.

There was a hand. A hand on his head, gently stroking his light brown hair lovingly.

'Who is that?' Remus thought. The werewolf didn't know where he was or how he got there, his mind was foggy and his memories of the previous night indistinct. Pain filled his aching body. Nothing made sense. The only thing he knew at the moment was the hand, the slender fingers running through the silken strands of brown. He strained to see the unknown person at his bedside, but his vision was still clouded with black. Suddenly, he heard brisk footsteps, and the hand jerked away, and Remus felt a kiss hastily pressed to his forehead, and then he heard voices talking.

"Visiting hours are over! Out! This boy needs his rest!" That voice was definitely female, filled with strict geniality and caring.

"But can't I stay just-"

"For the last time no! Visiting hours were over 15 minutes ago, and you are not to spend another minute in this ward! Out, now, before I call your Head of House!"

"Please, Madam Pomfrey, I just wanted t-"

"I don't care what you wanted to do, I want you to get out! Now go!"

"But I-"

"OUT!"

The timid mumblings subsided, as did the authoritive female shoutings, and Remus felt a glass being pressed to his lips. He sputtered and choked at the bitter taste, but no sooner than he had swallowed the last drop of the nasty liquid than the black started to subside from his vision and he could see once more.

Remus found himself on a bed in the hospital wing, and saw Madam Pomfrey's familiar face hovering above him. Everything was starting to come back to him now, the especially torturous transformation and the awful awakening he had had the following morning.

"Ah, I see you are finally awake, Mr. Lupin. Your latest transformation was…afflicting to say the least. I gave you a potion for your sight, but I'm afraid I can't do much for the pain. You're going to have to stay for at least another night."

Remus was greatly enraged by this.

"But I have classes! Homework!"

"Now don't you just worry about school, Mr. Lupin. This full moon has taken quite a toll on you and I will not let you out of here until you are healed, which will take another day at least. I'm sure those friends of yours can bring you your work, and you have never had trouble making it up before, now should be no different."

"But Madam Pomfr-"

"No." The young healer cut Remus short in a firm voice, and pushed him back as he tried to rise from his bed. "You are staying here as long as I keep you here, you need rest, you need to heal. Now lay back down and take this potion."

Remus' mumbling protests were quieted as another cup of steaming, bitter potion was pressed to his cracked lips. He took it without dissent and passively layed on his pillows once more, feeling the throbbing and shooting pains throughout his body, but not truly caring.

He might have been angered by Madam Pomfrey's insistence to keep him in the hospital wing, but his thoughts weren't occupied with the young healer at the moment. What he was thinking about, however, was the slender, gentle hand that, before Madam Pomfreys' interruption, had been stroking his hair so lovingly. And the chaste kiss quickly pressed to his forehead. And the voice that had been arguing with Madam Pomfrey, which had been filled with compassion and care. But one thing about that voice bothered him. It had defiantly been male. A young male that sounded about his age, but male nonetheless. This wasn't so bothering for any reasons of homophobia, for Remus had considered himself bisexual since his 3rd year. He hadn't, however, told anyone of his closeted sexual orientation and couldn't think of any boys in his year besides the Marauders that were friends with him, let alone like him in that way. So that left Peter, James and Sirius. And however strange Peter Pettigrew was, the young werewolf highly doubted his timid, mousy friend swung in that direction. Which left Sirius and James. Remus's heart leapt at that thought. He hadn't really developed feelings for either of his best friends but he sure wouldn't mind if one of them liked him. James was tall and lanky, good-looking in a very wild sort of way, and had an endearing habit of running his hands through his thick, shiny black hair till it stood on end, looking stylishly messy. His hazel eyes sparkled with friendliness at everyone he saw, save for the Slytherines, and burned with anger when anyone did anything to harm his friends. James was a compassionate, loyal, and wild spirit, as noble as his Animagus form of a stag. Rest assured, he was a little arrogant, but that endeared him to his friends even more. James also was extremely persistent, which showed in his never-ceasing chase of Lily Evans, which, in Remus' opinion, brought down the possibility that James was the one that had been at the werewolfs' bedside, and Remus didn't think the black-haired boy was homosexual in any sense of the word, although anything was possible. Yes, Sirus was definitely the more possible culprit. The young Animagus was a dog in every sense of the word. Sirius was very good looking, with shaggy ebony-brown hair that fell over his deep gray eyes, shot with green, with a casual, mischievous elegance. And even though Sirius had never come out of the closet, it was common belief he was bisexual, if only for the reason he could screw twice as many people that way. Sirius was loyal, mischievous and scheming, the source of most of the ideas for the Marauders' ingenious pranks. Yes, it was possible that Sirius liked him. But how could Remus find out? And what would he do if Sirius did like him? Remus had never harbored any feelings for his doggy friend, but now he wasn't so sure. And it was with these thoughts floating through his head that the young werewolf finally surrendered to his fatigue, and slept.

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**A/N:** REVIEW PLEASE ˆ–ˆ 


	3. Feelings

**Disclaimer:**Don't own, don't sue. That simple.

**Warning:** Slash.

**Goddess of Idun:** Well even I'm not sure who it was. You can decide. I've mostly decided on who it is, and it's for me to know and you to find out. Don't Worry, you'll find out later.

**The Deity:** Rather. I thought so myself, too. But thank you.

**Gilana1:** I know it might have been a bit short, but I kind of felt it was better that way.

**Feelinfawkesy:** Wow, 2 reviews, I feel so special now. And thanks; I've always prided myself on thoroughness. But thanks for your lovely reviews, I've enjoyed them.

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**Twisted Hearts and Anguished Howls**

_Chapter 3; Feelings_

Remus woke the next morning to the sound of snores emanating from a mop of unruly black hair slumped in a chair next to his beside. The werewolf watched his friend sleeping for a few minutes before he decided to wake the Chaser.

"James. James, wake up. James. Come on, Prongs, wake up!"

No answer.

"Damnit, Prongs, WAKE UP!"

That did it. James fell out of his chair with a yelp, and sat crumpled on the floor, glaring reproachfully up at Remus with bleary hazel eyes. Remus looked down at his friend, an eyebrow raised.

"Now what the bloody hell did you do that for, Moony? I'll have you know I was having a very good dream..."

Remus rolled his eyes as James' face took on an awed, ethereal quality and he continued dreamily.

"Oh, Merlin, she was beautiful, Moony. Her hair was all down around her shoulders, it looked like fire, and her eyes-"

"Were like perfect shiny emeralds," Remus finished with amusement etched across his tired face. "You're so predictable, Prongs. Not to mention your poetic skills are a little lacking... and besides, when are you just going to give it up?"

James eye's flashed in indignation.

"Give it up? Never! I know she likes me, I just know she does, really deep down inside, she'll go out with me one day, you'll see!"

"Oh, and when will that be, Prongs, when Hell freezes over?

"Shut up Moony!" James whined, picking himself up from the floor and flopping down on the extra space in Remus' bed, turning suddenly serious eyes on the young werewolf. 

"So Moony, how was the change this time?"

Remus squirmed uncomfortably and answered, avoiding James' eyes.

"Well, err- it was, uh…just about the same as usual you kn-"

"Don't lie to me Moony, I know it was worse than normal."

"Yeah, well…"

"Moony, look, I'm sorry, okay? You know we would have been there If we could, but we couldn't, and I know it's never happened before, but you know McGonagall, how she is with detentions, and it was just-"

"Unavoidable. I know." Remus looked sorrowfully at his friend. "I forgive you. The wolf shouldn't have taken it so hard, anyway, neither should I. We've only been doing this for a few months, and I've been making the change by myself for so long it shouldn't matter. So don't worry."

"But it does matter, Remus. You know that. With us there, the wolf has friends. Pack mates. Without, it just tears itself to shreds." James gestured to the bandages around his friends' arms.

Remus looked down, avoiding James' eyes again, and the black-haired boy tilted his chin up and brushed a few locks of prematurely grey-flecked light auburn hair away from Remus' forehead.

"I promise we'll be there from now on, Moony. You should never have to be alone. And you won't."

Remus felt something unknown wriggle in his stomach as he looked into James' hazel eyes, and saw a sincerity there that was rare to witness. The two young wizards gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, brief, but which felt like an eternity to both. Remus tore his gaze away from the pools of green-flecked brown, coughing violently, and James got up from the bed, glancing around uncomfortably and running his hands nervously through his hair.

"I, er- I have to go, Moony. Quidditch practice, and all that. I guess I'll uh, see you later, okay?"

Remus nodded his head dumbly, and their eyes met once again before James rushed out of the room, hands in hair and robes askew.

A few hours later, once Madam Pomfrey had deemed him healed, Remus was to be found wandering the drafty corridors aimlessly, not truly thinking, but not possessed of any true apathy, either. Remus drifted through the castle vagrantly, not stopping until he reached the stone battlements of a lone tower on the far side of the castle. He sat down on one of the inner ledges and looked out across the shadows that played across the smooth green grass, the curling wisps of smoke trailing upward from Hagrids cabin, the jagged, snow-capped mountains, the lake sparkling in the last golden rays of the dying sun, and he thought. The young werewolf thought about many things. His future, his friends' future, even the future of the entire Wizarding world. His feelings, toward one bespectacled young man, in particular. He thought about all these things, for hours, until the last shaft of sunlight had faded away to moonshine, and the stars came out to twinkle wonderingly down at the shadowed earth. Chilly evening wind played across Remus' troubled face and lifted his aureate reddish-brown hair, tousling it across his forehead, when he started at the sound of a door being slammed shut behind him, and then looked around to find one Sirius Black, looking out across the grounds mournfully. The two boys were silent for a few moments. And then-

"Nice night, eh Moony?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Remus glanced down at his feet, seemingly very interested in the midnight blue stripes on his scuffed white trainers.

"James is looking for you."

Remus glanced up at that, but disregarded it for the moment.

"How did you find me, Padfoot?"

"The map," Sirius stated simply.

"Oh," Remus replied, biting his lip worryingly.

"Don't look so upset, Moony. I don't know what old Prongs told you in the hospital wing, but we really are sorry, you know."

"I know." Remus looked at the greenhouses with sorrow in his golden-grey eyes, avoiding Sirius' blue-grey ones.

"Oh, come off it, Moony! We are sorry. Now are you going to come down to the common room anytime tonight?"

Remus sighed. He wasn't mad at any of them, yet he could never tell Sirius the real reason for why he was so somber. Trust Sirius to be that oblivious.

"So you forgive us, then?"

Remus looked up at his friend and smiled.

"Yes I forgive you, you great prat." Remus got up from his ledge, ruffling Sirius' elegantly tousled inky blue-black locks, and he threw an arm around the Animagus' shoulders in a sudden display of cheerfulness. He would just have to sort out his feelings later.

"Come on, let's get back. Want to go to the kitchens?"

"Now we're talking, Moony!" Sirius grinned, and they disappeared through the door back to the castle, arms around each others shoulders and small grins plastered on their faces, and they made their way down to the painting of the bowl of fruit behind which hid the Hogwarts kitchens, chatting goodheartedly about Quidditch, teachers, and all the other things teenage wizards talked about, and Remus was happy.

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**A/N:**Ta da! Yes I know it's short, the final word count (according to MS word for Mac) was 1456 or so, but I just felt that it should end that way. No, you idjits, not the story, the chapter! XD

PS- I would like you all to pray for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the South. Soon, my city in Missouri will be receiving refugees from New Orleans and the surrounding area. Please pray for them all and try to donate to the Red Cross disaster relief fund, or any legitimate fund to help the victims of this tragedy. On a lighter note, I would appreciate it if you all might also pray for me, because I've got what is probably one of the worst colds the world has ever seen. Have a good day!


	4. Absent Confessions

**Disclaimer:** No, no, and no.

**Warning:**This is slash. If you are reading this, you should know that by now. If not, get out. Why do I even bother? ˆshakes headˆ

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**Twisted Hearts and Anguished Howls**

_Chapter 4; Absent Confessions_

Remus and Sirius sat perched on short wooden stools in Hogwarts' kitchens, munching on éclairs and pasties, house-elves milling around the vast room at their feet. Remus was listening to Sirius' animated account of the Marauders' detention, the staged rapture on the werewolfs' face dwindling as it was replaced by exhaustion and boredom.

"And then you know what the old hag made us do? She made us spell-check a bunch of first-years' essays. 124 feet of bloody parchment, Moony! The old hag!"

Remus raised his eyebrows at Sirius' name-calling of their Transfiguration teacher, but said nothing. The golden-eyed boy watched his friend cram another monstrous bite of chocolate éclair in his mouth before continuing thickly.

"I fod' cwed hafta do cha wholeskol cha way che was carawing on."

"Uh-uh." Remus raised his eyebrows at Sirius, eyes widening as Sirius proceeded to inform Remus about the classrooms that Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail had been forced to clean, resorting to call Professor McGonagall by such names that will not be mentioned here, for delicacys' sake.

They continued in much the same manner for another half hour until Sirius rose from his stool, dusting off his hands on his trouser legs, and announced that they'd better get back to the common room, "Before that old hag has any more reason to stick us in detention for another hundred thousand years."

Remus consented, and the two Marauders proceeded to make the long walk through changing staircases and hidden passages back to the dorm. They were walking in silence past an empty stretch of corridor, which was hung with tapestries that depicted violent scenes of fighting trolls, gnomes and dragons. Remus kept chancing demure glances at Sirius, who kept looking ahead, seemingly oblivious, until-

"Something you want to ask me, Moony?"

Remus cleared his throat loudly.

"Err- well, its just that…uh… well, Padfoot, didn't you say Prongs was looking for me?"

Sirius looked at Remus curiously.

"Yes, he did, as a matter of fact. I was kind of wondering why. D'you want to tell me?"

"Uh, it was uh… nothing. Just that I'd sort of, ah- been thinking about trying out for Gryffindor Chaser, that's all." Remus searched his friends' face to see if Sirius had bought it. Apparently he had. Sirius' face was a mix of disbelief and elatement, until a wave of pride washed over his features and he beamed at Remus.

"That's bloody wonderful, Moony! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I just kind of thought you might-you know-tease me. I've never done anything of this sort before, so I didn't really know what to expect from you. Prongs is teaching me to fly better. That's' most likely what he wanted to talk to me about."

Thank Merlin I'm a werewolf, for once. I suppose all that lying has finally paid off.

Sirius continued to beam at Remus, and clapped a hand on his back, exclaiming,

"Why the hell would you think that, Moony? I think It's great your trying out, one more Marauder on the team would be awesome! Soon we might just have all four! Of course, Wormtail would never be really likely to…" Sirius trailed off, looking slightly crestfallen. But the next second, a radiant smile took up his features once more as he continued to grin at Remus.

"But it's not like Wormtail would likely make a difference, is it, Moony? Well, I think it's wonderful, just awesome. And with old Prongsy as a teacher, you can't go wrong!"

They walked the rest of the way back to the common room, the oppressive dark silence filled by Sirius' happy chatter about Quidditch maneuvers and brooms. Remus felt a wriggling in his stomach he recognized as guilt, and fear. He would just have to talk to James privately about all this, and soon.

_Merlin knows there are things to straighten out anyways._

And with these feelings swirling in his mind, Remus and Sirius clambered through the portrait hole to the sight of a sleeping Peter Pettigrew slumped down in an armchair before the dying fire, an enormous Charms book cracked open on his lap. Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus as they inched their way past their friend and climbed the winding stair to their dormitory. Remus opened the oak-paneled door in anticipation, only to feel relief, mixed with slight disappointment, when the sight of James, lying fully clothed on his bed, greeted him. The glowing, broken moonlight streaming in from the mullioned windows fell on James' pale face, reflecting off his glasses and shining on his jet-black hair, just slightly more tousled than usual, and Remus turned to Sirius, pressing a finger to his lips in warning, as he strode over to James' bedside and removed the black-haired boys' glasses and laid them on James' nightstand. Sighing mournfully, Remus said goodnight to Sirius, who by now had crossed the room to his own four-poster and was in the process of removing his shirt. Remus changed into his pajamas, blew out the candle, and looked out the window for a moment at the luminous moon. A mere sliver of the once full-to-bursting silver orb was now left dangling by its string of stars. Remus shivered in both repulsion and awe. The moon held so many things for him…

_Best not to think about that, you know. Just be as human as possible._

Snuggling into his scarlet bedclothes, the auburn-haired boy chanced one last glance at the moon before snapping shut his velvet bed-hangings. Closing his eyes and attempting to sleep, Remus felt oddly empty and morose. Apathetic, almost. He didn't sleep for hours.

_James' P.O.V._

God, what am I doing? Why can't I stop thinking about it? Its' not normal, Potter. You know that. Not normal. Not right. Think of Quiddtch. Cobbing, blagging, bludgers, broomsticks. Wronski fient, Quaffles, long goal. Long goal, long goal… LILY! You're in love with Lily. You love Lily. Lily Evans, You have for years. Ever since you first saw her. Lily, with the hair like brown fire and eyes like emeralds. Lily. Lily, Lily, Lily. Lily, Lily, Lily, Lily. Lily, Lily, Lily, Lily, Moony- GOD NO! You don't. You can't. You don't. You can't. You don't. You can't. You don't. You just can't-

James continued this internal battle for several minutes until he resorted to repeating the desperate mantra, until his thoughts finally forced him to logic, a rare occurrence in the noble and proud mind of James Potter.

_You know what happened, Potter._

"But what if it was more than what it seemed?" his brain echoed back.

'Well it wasn't' he replied firmly. There's no way--- it just didn't happen that way. It couldn't have.

James stared up at the canopy of his four-poster before continuing his analysis of the time spent with Remus in the hospital wing.

I went in. I sat by his bed for a bit, I fell asleep. Moony woke me up, and I fell out of my chair.

James scowled good-naturedly up at the scarlet velvet.

Then we talked about my dream of Lily, and Moony was teasing me- James fought to keep images of a naked Remus, tying him down and licking chocolate from his Adams apple- And then, we talked-no, I talked about the transformation, asked him how it was… he told me, I said sorry for the Marauders not being there, he said it was alright but I could tell, he was lying… so I looked at him and told him he should never have to be alone again, and he wouldn't. Or at least I think I said that. And then…

All other thoughts left James' mind, and he gasped as the memory came flooding back to him; laying on Remus' hospital bed and telling him it would be okay, and the brief moment that he had stared into Remus' golden-grey eyes, how lost he had felt, how suffocated he was. Like he was drowning. But at the same time he felt whole and right, like he wasn't really drowning, just passing to something bigger and better than ever before, a place where it didn't matter if Lily wouldn't go out with him, for all his years of trying; a place where it didn't matter how good he was at Quidditch, because there were more important things than putting a Quaffle through a hoop or catching a Snitch. A place where he mattered, him, James Potter, not Prongs the noble stag, not Potter-the-Quidditch-Prodigy, legendary Chaser of Gryffindor House, not Mr. Potter, brilliant student with O's in all classes, not Prongs the Marauder, the marvelous mischief-maker. Just James Potter, behind the tousled hair, wind-ruffled and otherwise, behind the never-ceasing advances at Lily Evans, behind the seemingly endless supply of ideas for pranks and jinxes, there was another James, who did have feelings, and who did care. And, wondering about all these things was how an exhausted and confused James Potter was found a short while later by his friends, glasses removed by the object of his dreams, while that object, a person in sensible reality, was settling down and trying to achieve the sleep James' had, even if it was troubled. And the object of James Potters' dreams was thinking the very same thoughts about James that night that the bespectacled, black-haired boy was thinking about him.

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**A/N:** Now, everyone, repeat after me: Aaawwwww! 


	5. Finally, it's freakin CHAPTER 5!âpplase

**A/N: **I hope you all liked that… sorry the update took so long but I had a symphony audition and a concert where I was 1st chair…. (I play violin), and I also had a shitload of homework, so it took me a bit. Also I re-wrote it 1,234,508,958,373,747 times. Well, maybe not that many. :-P

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, they are not mine. Do you think Snape's Worst Memory would have gone the way it did if I owned them?

xXx

**Cesca Marie:** I've been trying to resolve those aspects of my writing, and I'm so grateful for your constructive criticism. I'm actually in the process of re-writing this story as we... err… speak? I think this was my favorite review, oddly enough. Thank you so much, again. So does this one flow better?

**Willow Branch:** eeerrr…. shifty eyes

**Princess of Wolves: **Why, Thank you! ˆis pleasantly surprised and pleased.ˆ (? I confuse myself sometimes…)

**Goddess of Idun: **Here you are. Finally, huh? 

NOW, ON WITH IT!

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**Twisted Hearts and Anguished Howls**

_Chapter 5; Interesting Encounters_

On Monday morning, the four Marauders headed down to breakfast, laughing and joking, and Remus felt as if things were getting down to a nice routine again- Sirius' jokes, James' vain passes at Lily Evans, and Peter- well, Peter just sort of tagged along, listening in the shadows and planning whatever it was he was planning. Maybe the Marauders' next prank.

_Merlin knows we need to think of one…_

Remus' thoughts were disrupted as a greasy sausage link hit him in the head. Remus glanced around to find James staring ahead innocently, seemingly very interested in the plate of kippers before him. Peter stuffed his fist in his mouth, but failed to muffle his hearty sniggers.

"James."

"Why, whatever would be the matter, dearest darling Moony?"

"James…"

Remus was practically growling and James was looking at him with a mingled expression of feigned innocence and mild amusement. Sirius, sensing the impending danger, quickly interfered.

"It, err… it was me, Moony… yeah, saw the sausage and just couldn't help myself…"

At that statement, Peter finally lost control of his mirth, and let out a loud, strangled guffaw. Remus looked at him with a raised eyebrow and turned back to Sirius with skepticism upon his face.

"Uh-huh… Well never mind it, I suppose, but we _should_ be getting to class y'know…"

"Awww, come _on, _Moony, can't we just stay a little while longer? Pleeeasseeee?" James whined, looking at Remus with pleading eyes.

"No," the werewolf replied firmly, and marched out of the Great Hall with Marauders in tow, tugging James along with him by the arm. James looked back pitifully at the Gryffindor table.

"But Moony, my pumpkin juice…"

-xXx-

The scratching of a single, solitary quill filled the chill air in the Hogwarts library. Remus squinted down at his parchment, sighing in realization of the more than 13 inches of essay left to be completed. The hard wooden table was filled with the werewolf's' books and papers, and the carpet on the floor beneath him muffled the sounds of adolescent footfalls as they made their way closer, and closer, and closer…

"BOO!"

Remus jumped a foot or five in the air as he whipped around to see James grinning at him, after having snuck up behind and pinched Remus' sides.

"Don't _do_ that, Prongs, Pince'll have your head if she hears you yelling like that!" Remus glared at his friend in an expression of mock-exasperation, which was quickly abandoned in favor of a warm smile. The two looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, until James broke the contact, clearing his throat and pulling up a chair right next to his golden-eyed friend.

"Sooo…. whatcha working on, Moony?"

"Wha- Oh, this? Just something for Muggle Studies…"

"Mmhhmmm…"

"So, Prongs, what did you come here for? I know you normally avoid studying and the library like the plague…"

James frowned.

"Now, you know that's not true, Moony, I was in here just last week, remember? We were here with Padfoot and Wormta-"

"That was because we were looking up a spell for a _prank, _you prat, can't exactly call that studying, can you?"

"It's studying for the benefit of Mischief-Making, isn't it? And don't call me a prat, you prat!" James said playfully, hitting Remus over the head with a roll of parchment.

The Marauders grinned good-naturedly at each other for a moment before they both started at the sound of quickly approaching footsteps.

"Mr. Potter, I- oh, hello, Mr. Lupin."

Remus gulped. "Er...hello, Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall had just strode into their little library corner, hair up and unwavering, lips thinned in their usual display of stern disapproval; but Remus could sense a shadow of worry and gloom on her spartan features.

"The headmaster requests Mr. Potters' presence immediately. It is of the utmost importance."

"What's wrong, Professor?" James asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid you'll have to talk to the headmaster to find out, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, and Remus could sense something in her voice… it was almost like _pity._

James began to gather his things and Remus looked between the two, bemused.

"But I- oh… all right, I guess I'll see you later, Prongs…"

James suddenly hugged him lightly, and Remus felt the odd swooping sensation is his stomach, along with a piece of parchment being stuffed into his robe pocket. He looked up at James quizzically, but nothing showed on his friends' face. McGonagall raised an eyebrow at James' strange behavior but said nothing.

"Later, Prongs…"

"Bye Moony."

And with that Remus watched his friend walk out of the library. He retrieved the parchment from his pocket and stared at it for a moment. Remus hesitantly opened the square of wrinkled paper and gazed intently on the message inside.

_Meet me at the Gryffindor Quidditch lockers, 8:00 tonight._

Remus looked at the note, penned in James' handwriting. He stuffed the parchment in his bag, along with his essay and copy of Introduction to Muggle Studies, by Edis Bevan, and got up from the table. Suddenly, he didn't feel so much like studying anymore.

-xXx-

As Remus walked across the shaggy, damp grass on the Quidditch field later that evening, he wondered what could have happened for McGonagall to usher James away so quickly.

_Speaking of James…_

Remus groaned as he thunked his head against the hard wooden liRemus groaned as he thunked his head against the hard wooden liRemus frowned as he glanced at his watch. 7:58. James might be a little haphazard, but you could always trust him to be punctual at the least.

" _Lumos._"

Tentatively opening the door to the Gryffindor Quidditch lockers, the young werewolf glanced at the shadows dancing on the walls from his wandlight.

"Prongs… Prongs, you in here?"

Remus' lycanthropic senses strained to smell James' scent. He couldn't pick up a thing on the chill air save the usual salty tang of sweat and soap.

Still frowning, Remus checked the Marauders' map, which Sirius had been somewhat reluctant to give up that night.

"_Look, Moony, if something happens to one of you, where will I know where to find you?_

"_We'll just be at the Quidditch pitch, don't worry Padfoot, I told you-"_

Remus scanned the map once more, and couldn't find a trace of the Animagus.

_Well, looks like he was half-way right… I'm the only one who seems to be on the pitch tonight, let alone the entire school grounds._

Suddenly, a small speck on the map caught his attention from its place hovering near the Forbidden Forest.

_James Potter_

Remus watched the labeled dot in fasination as it moved quickly around the border of the forest before slipping out of site in the tangle of inked black lines that represented the overgrowth. Franticly scanning the map where the dot had disappeared, the werewolf sighed as he spotted the speck moving faster and deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

_What the_ hell _does he think he's_ doing?

Remus walked out of the locker room, cold wind billowing his cape around him as he strode toward the Forbidden Forest. Checking the map, he saw that James' map-dot had moved to a small clearing in the far-west side of the forest.

The werewolf glanced up at the waning yellow moon before breaking into a full-out sprint, leaping over rabbit-holes and slipping on tuffets of shadowed grass. Reaching the forest, Remus scrambled for the map, but couldn't find his friend's location in the dark cast by the tall trees.

"Bloody hell…"

Cursed flew from Remus' mouth as he stumbled about in the undergrowth, finally finding the path.

"_Lumos"_

Remus walked along the dirt path, trying to see the direction he was walking in; but his vision couldn't permeate the inky blackness that lay beyond his circle of warm, safe wandlight. But the werewolf's' heightened hearing was fine; Remus started at a faint rustling sound in the dark trees.

"Hello?"

No answer, but he heard it again, louder, and closer this time.

"Who's there? Show yourself-- I'm armed!" he called cautiously. Remus peered into the darkness, wand held aloft, _Protego_ on his lips.

And into the clearing came- was it a man, or a horse? An intriguing creature, to the waist a man, with soft white-blond hair and piercing blue eyes, but below was the body of a roan palomino horse. Remus' jaw dropped.

"Good evening," said the centaur. He had a deep, yet mystical voice. Remus looked at him cautiously, and didn't lower his wand.

"A student, aren't you? Are you going to curse me?"

Remus looked at the centaur, mouth still gaping. He lowered his wand.

"Err---hello… no, I'm not-"

"Well that's good, then." The centaur sighed.

"Venus is bright tonight."

"Ah…"

The centaur continued, "Yes, Venus is indeed bright tonight. But Mars is unusually dim."

Remus stood in awkward silence.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself didn't I? I'm Dallan, and this is my son, Firenze."

A small centaur peeked out from behind Dallan's hind legs. He had the body of long-legged young colt with the golden-blond hairs of his father's roan coat. He had the chest and head of a young boy, with his dad's astonishingly blue eyes and white-blond hair. He looked up at Remus solemnly, and pulled on his fathers' tail.

"Father, why is Venus so bright tonight?"

"I don't know--" Dallan turned to Remus. "So what are you doing out so late, young student?"

"I'm looking for my friend," said Remus.

"Ahh, and do you know where this friend might be?"

"Yes, he's in a clearing, over on that side of the forest-" Remus pointed, "-do you know where that is…?"

"Yes, I have," Dallan said. "The stars have told wrong before… I hope this is one of those times."

"What-"

"Jump on my back, we must hurry." The centaur said suddenly, a quiet determination on his features.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked.

"You must, just mount and I will take you to your companion"

"But what about…." Remus looked down at Firenze. The young centaur was looking up at them both, taking in the conversation with a slight, curious frown on his young face. Dallan looked down at his son seriously.

"Do you think you will be able to keep up, Firenze?"

"Yes, Father." Firenze said quietly.

"Well then…" Dallan walked over to a low tree stump and stood patiently while Remus climbed up on the stump and scrambled onto Dallan's back. Dallan suddenly reared up, Remus franticly clutching the centuars' broad shoulders, and he galloped off into the forest. Remus could hear the faint plopping sound of Firenze galloping right behind them.

They continued in that way for about 10 minutes, it seemed, Remus holding onto Dallan's shoulders for dear life as the centaur galloped through the trees, leaping over fallen trunks and vines, and once over a quietly rushing brook. They finally reached a thicket of trees and this is where Dallan stood, kneelingto let Remus down off his back.

"Well, young one, we have finally reached your destination. You never did tell me your name."

"It's Remus. Remus Lupin." The marauder replied quietly.

"Ahh, yes. It is rather unusually for the stars not to disclose that information, the history of humans are written there, have been for all the ages."

Remus hesitated for a moment. _'But who could it harm?'_

"Well, I'm not technically human…"

Dallan looked at him quizzically.

"Err- I'm a werewolf, you see."

Dallan nodded. "I thought that might be so," he said knowingly. "But this is where I leave you, Remus Lupin. Good-bye, and good luck. We will meet again, if the stars deem it so."

The centaur beckoned his son and turned, walking off into the dark of the forest. Firenze looked at Remus, and gave the boy a small, faint smile, before following his father into the trees.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't want to make promises I can't keep, but I _will_ keep this one: **I solemnly swear to include some Remus/James action in the next chapter.**

And this is actually an RL/SB fic, but I'm getting to that. :-)

Have a nice day everyone.

I stole that line from Jo… yeah…. ˆsmiles sheepishlyˆ

OMFG i almost forgot to mention... I got a beta... screen name is chaeli.meep. and she is a God-sent SAINT! Also, I was wondering if my fic is the kind where it's a good fic, u know, but it seems kinda off in the slash department, like it sounds like it's written by a completly straight person. Just wondering, you know... 


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